Suspected missile shot down over the Red Sea city of Eilat, Thursday morning
The IDF reported Thursday morning that the Arrow long-range air defense system intercepted a suspected projectile aimed toward Israel's southernmost city of Eilat after warning sirens were activated in the city and its surroundings for the first time in over a month.
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The army added that "the target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians."
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Suspected missile shot down over the Red Sea city of Eilat, Thursday morning
(Photo: Zion Adika)
This was the first time since January 18 that alarms were triggered in the Red Sea resort town, which ultimately turned out to be a false alarm. The Arrow system reportedly last intercepted a missile launched from Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels toward the city on December 6.
Tali Kadmon, 58, a resident of Eilat, recounted to Ynet the moment she was awakened by the siren around 6 am. "I quickly went downstairs to the shelter. When things calmed down, I thought something had happened because I heard explosions and ambulances; it was terrifying. When I went to the balcony, I looked up and saw the trail of the interceptor," she said.
"We're already accustomed to sirens here, but it's been a long time since the last one. Since the Houthis became involved, we realized we were under threat, which was unsettling at first. But like the rest of the country, we've gotten used to running to the shelter. I feel it's now safer to live next to the Gaza border."
Zion Adika, the owner of a local moving company, was caught in the middle of a drive when the siren went off, even managing to capture the interception on film.
"I was driving when suddenly I got Home Front Command alerts on my phone, and I could hear the siren from outside," he recounted.
"I stopped on the side of the road and took cover behind a wall. I waited about ten minutes, filming the event, of course. After ten minutes, I went on my way; such things don't scare me. I just finished my reserve duty; everything is fine, even though it was surprising. You get startled for a couple of seconds and then you act. The Houthis keep coming, but we're not afraid."
Bat-Sheva Klein, who was vacationing with her husband at Timna Park, was awakened by the explosion and panicked. "We are vacationing here near Eilat, in a space of tents and cabins. In the early morning, we heard an insane explosion above us, went outside, and saw the trail of the interception. It was quite scary; we thought it might be thunder, but it wasn't cloudy outside. Everyone here woke up and came out to see what had happened," she said.